Look, Ma, both hands: Yankee pitches from both sides

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Pat Venditte can see why he's such a curiosity. It's not everyday that a pitcher throws with both arms.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Pat Venditte can see why he's such a curiosity. It's not everyday that a pitcher throws with both arms.

Venditte showed off his ambidextrous talents for the New York Yankees on Tuesday, giving up one run in 1 1-3 innings during a 9-6 split-squad loss to the Atlanta Braves.

"I understand where it's coming from," Venditte said. "And it's my job to go out there and prove that I can pitch."

Making his first appearance for the Yankees, Venditte took over for CC Sabathia with two outs in the fifth inning and tossed four warmup pitches with each hand. Venditte switched back and forth, depending on whether he was facing a righty or lefty, and gave up two hits and a walk.

"I think I have to," he said. "I don't have overpowering stuff from either side, so I think I really need this."

The 24-year-old reliever, who uses a six-finger glove, pitched for two teams in Class A last season and went a combined 4-2 with 22 saves and a 1.87 ERA. He is scheduled to begin the season at Class A Tampa.

Sabathia said he knew the Yankees had an ambidextrous pitcher in their organization, but did a double take when Venditte took the mound.

"I've never seen anything like that," Sabathia said. "I felt like we kept changing pitchers before I figured out what was happening."

If he makes the majors, Venditte wouldn't be the first pitcher to throw as a left-hander and right-hander. Greg Harris, who pitched for Cincinnati, Montreal, San Diego, Texas, Philadelphia, Boston and the Yankees from 1981-95, was a righty throughout his career. He pitched from the left side for two batters in the second-to-last game of his career.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi had said he wanted to watch Venditte throw this spring and asked that the pitcher be sent over from the minor league complex for an exhibition game.

Venditte started out as a righty in the fifth and retired Yunel Escobar on a grounder to end the inning.

In the sixth, Venditte pitched right-handed to Matt Diaz and gave up a single. Venditte shifted to a lefty and fielded Nate McLouth's sacrifice bunt.

Later in the inning, switch-hitter Brooks Conrad came to the plate and by rule Venditte had to declare in advance how he would pitch. He went righty, Conrad batted lefty and grounded out.

Venditte complimented catcher Jorge Posada.

"Jorge did a good job of keeping me calm," he said.

Sabathia tuned up for his start in the major league opener Sunday night at Boston, allowing five runs and eight hits in 4 2-3 innings. He has a 7.23 ERA this spring.

Sabathia said he isn't concerned about his high ERA.

"I am just trying to pitch my game," he said. "I'll work on my adjustments in the spring a little different than a regular season game."

The World Series champions open the season against the Red Sox.

"That's what I am preparing for," Sabathia said. "Sunday night at Fenway will be crazy like it always is at Fenway. I'll be ready."

Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami pitched five innings, allowing five hits and one earned run. He was scheduled to go longer but he developed a blister on his right index finger and manager Bobby Cox decided to take him out as a precaution.

It was the final spring training game for Kawakami, who is expected to pitch in a minor league game next week before making his first start of the season, April 11 at San Francisco.

"He has a zippy slider this year," Cox said. "When he gets his sinker going he's going to be something."

Clint Sammons hit his first homer of the spring in the fourth off Sabathia. Troy Glaus upped his spring average to .372 with two doubles and Melky Cabrera also had two hits against his former teammates.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Jamie Moyer has won the fifth spot in the Philadelphia Phillies' rotation, a decision the team announced after its loss to the Houston Astros.

Moyer is the oldest player in the majors at 47. Kyle Kendrick, who was Moyer's competition for the spot, started against Houston and allowed one run in two innings. Manager Charlie Manuel assured Kendrick that he has a roster spot and would be an important part of the bullpen for the two-time NL champions.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Matt Holliday hit his first two home runs this spring and the St. Louis Cardinals roughed up Oliver Perez in a win over the New York Mets.

The Cardinals homered three times off Perez. Ryan Ludwick hit a two-run shot in the first inning and Holliday followed with a long drive.

Brendan Ryan added a two-run homer the next inning, and Perez made it through just 2 1-3 innings before being pulled. The left-hander, coming back from knee surgery late last season, gave up seven runs on six hits and two walks.

SARASOTA, Fla. — Dontrelle Willis struggled in a win over Baltimore, then got good news from Detroit manager Jim Leyland: The left-hander will start the season in the Tigers' rotation.

Willis will be the No. 3 man in the rotation. His position became solidified earlier in the day when the Tigers traded left-hander Nate Robertson to Florida for pitcher Jay Voss.

Willis had his worst outing of spring training, giving up five runs, seven hits and four walks in 4 1-3 innings. The performance lifted his ERA from 1.20 to 3.26.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Francisco Liriano locked up the final spot in the Twins' rotation, striking out eight in six shutout innings of Minnesota's 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Liriano also walked three, and said later he'd been told he will be the Twins' fifth starter. He was competing with Brian Duensing for the job and also was discussed as a possible replacement for injured closer Joe Nathan.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Anthony Rizzo and Josh Reddick homered to help build an early lead that slipped away from Boston before newcomer Kevin Frandsen's ninth-inning RBI single gave the Red Sox a tie against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Rizzo hit a two-run homer off Rafael Soriano that put the Red Sox up 6-0 in the third inning. Tug Hulett also drove in two runs with a double off Soriano, who the Rays acquired this winter to be their closer.

JUPITER, Fla. — Chris Volstad pitched 6 2-3 innings in his best start of the spring and added three hits and 2 RBI in the Florida Marlins' win over the Washington Nationals.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Right-hander Mat Latos had no problems with his elbow in his return to the mound, and the San Diego Padres made it another challenging afternoon for Cincinnati opening-day starter Aaron Harang.

Latos missed a start last week because of a tender pitching elbow. He struggled with his control at times, but allowed only one unearned run and three hits in three innings. Latos is competing for the fifth starter's spot.

Harang gave up five hits and five runs in 4 2-3 innings, pitching deep into counts. He also had a throwing error — one of three by the Reds that extended his innings. In his last two starts, Harang has given up 14 hits and 12 runs in 7 1-3 innings.

Rangers 4, Diamondbacks 2

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — There was no great sentiment in Arizona Diamondbacks final game at Tucson Electric Park, their spring training home since the franchise was born a dozen years ago.

Just a crowd of 5,184, about half of capacity, watching Arizona ace Dan Haren go through a routine final outing before his opening day start and Texas' Colby Lewis shut out the Diamondbacks for seven innings in the Rangers' victory.

The Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies will move from Tucson next spring to a new facility on the outskirts of Scottsdale. Arizona plays Colorado at the Rockies' Hi Corbett Field on Wednesday in the final spring game in Tucson.

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